The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament on Wednesday called for a Parliamentary enquiry into a secret recording of purported plot to remove Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police (IGP) from office ahead of the 2024 general election.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Deputy Minority Leader and NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembele, coming under Order 72, made the appeal to the Speaker of Parliament during an urgent statement on the issue.
“Mr Speaker, I bring this matter because the issue really bothers on democracy and critical institution of ours, the Ghana Police Service and the head of the Ghana Police Service.
“Mr Speaker, I raise them because this House must be interested in the authenticity or otherwise of those allegations that have been made on the leaked tape.”
He said in the alleged leaked tape there were purported senior Members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who had allegedly met a Senior Police Officer discussing the Assin North Parliamentary by-election, the role of the IGP and how he did not lead the efforts on allowing the NPP to have its way.
He said when there was a leaked tape and the issues around it had to do with the sitting IGP and the attempt to remove him from office and the issues about 2024 elections, and what must be done to make sure that a new IGP was put in place, who would collude with the sitting Government to get a certain outcome in the election.
This, he said, must concern Parliament, because it bothered the stability and the security of the country and the House wants to know who those involved and what was the authenticity of that leaked tape.
“We need to find out. And I think all I am asking, Mr Speaker, that we ask the Minister of State who is responsible for this sector to look into the matter and to find out the truth in this matter and advise this House.”
Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior, in his comment on the statement, recalled that after the Speaker had adjourned the House on Tuesday, July 11, he went out of the Chamber, and was confronted by a few journalists that there was an allegation that the IGP was going to be sacked.
The Minister said he told them right away that it was not true that the IGP was going to be sacked.
“Then there was a question to me – ‘if I was satisfied with the performance of the IGP?’
And I said yes, I was satisfied with the performance of the IGP”.
Mr Dery said: “Let me state clearly that as the Minister for the Interior, it is my duty to make sure that there is peace and security in this country and therefore, investigating any piece of information I would have no problem with it, in principle at all.”.
He welcomed any investigation by the House into the matter.
He noted that the Government was committed to a free and fair election in 2024 and had no plans to sack the IGP.
Mr James Agalga, the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior, and NDC MP for Bulsa North, said the issues being raised in the leaked tape was serious and should engage the attention of the House and Ghanaians.
He said it was a conspiracy to undermine the sovereign will of the people of Ghana in the upcoming election 2024; stating that “in the audio it was clear”.
Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Okaiwei Central said he was placing it on record that no IGP or serving military officer could determine the outcome of an election in this country.
He noted that the IGP was only one person, and that President Jerry John Rawlings had the IGP and serving military officers, yet the NDC lost to the NPP in election 2000 and that President John Agyekum Kufuor had an appointed IGP and military officers, yet the NPP lost the election 2008.
He also cited that President John Dramani Mahama had the IGP and serving military officers yet, the NDC lost the 2016 election to the NPP.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, NDC MP for Tamale South, said it was a truism that there was a leaked tape, whose content contains matters relating to the conduct of the IGP and efforts and attempts to seek his removal from office based on those allegations in that tape.
He said the House must seek to take a thorough forensic audit into the leaked tape to establish the veracity or otherwise of what was contained in that tape and more importantly to preserve the professional integrity of the IGP.
Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin in his statement, urged Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Deputy Minority Leader to submit in writing the terms of reference of his proposed statement, which gave notice to House on an alleged leaked tape.
The Speaker said it would guide him to give directions as to how an investigation or enquiry is to be conducted by an appropriate Committee of the House into the matter.
Source: GNA